Who doesn’t love a good steak? Especially now that grill season is here. But eating steak day in and day out can get old…at least for me. So when I saw ribeye steak on sale, I thought why not change it up a bit and use a marinade to make shaking beef?
What is shaking beef?
Shaking beef (a.k.a. thịt bò lúc lắc) is a French inspired dish that’s traditionally made using cubed beef that has been marinated, lightly seared, and served over a bed of watercress. The word “thịt bò” means beef and “lúc lắc” means shake. Why is it called shaking beef? Because of how the cubed beef pieces gets tossed around during the searing process.
I’ve seen thịt bò lúc lắc (shaking beef) made with onions, bell peppers and/or tomatoes. However, I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers, so I will make it with white onions.
The marinade for bò lúc lắc (shaking beef)
The marinade is simple. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, chopped garlic, pepper, sugar, oil and fish sauce. If you’re like my husband and is not a fan of fish sauce because it is too fishy, don’t worry…you won’t be able to detect it at all. If you’re still unsure about it, you can omit it, but I believe that fish sauce gives the dish a depth of flavors that you cannot get without it. A small amount of fish sauce goes a long way.
As with any marinade, I mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then give it a taste to make sure everything is well balanced before adding it to the cubed ribeye.
Cooking bò lúc lắc (shaking beef)
This is a perfect dish for weeknight dinner because it does not take long to make the marinade and sear the meat. The whole process took me 45 minutes. For those who know me, I like my steak rare to medium rare. So after 30 minutes of marinating the steaks, I place a piece of butter into a hot pan and sear the cubed ribeye for 2-3 minutes on each side. Just long enough to get that charred look. Of course, if you prefer your steak more well done, just sear it longer. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan because then the meat will steam instead.
After all the meat is seared, I placed it on a plate…add more butter and tossed the sliced onions into the pan. I let the onions cook for about 3-4 minutes, just long enough so that they pick up all the flavors from the steak. And that’s it…the meal is done.
Serving shaking beef
Previously I mentioned that this dish is traditionally served on a bed of watercress. However, I couldn’t find any, so I will often serve it with rice and a side of sliced cucumbers. For a healthier option, you can place it on a bed of lettuce.
Thịt Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef)
Ingredients
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 4 tsp vegetable oil for a deeper garlic flavor, you can use garlic infused olive oil.
- 1.5 pounds ribeye steak cut into 1 inch cubes.
- 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
- 1 white onion cut into thick slices.
Instructions
- Sprinkle the steak with salt and gently rub. Wash the salt off with warm water and pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the ribeye into 1 inch cubes.
- Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a separate bowl and mix well. Give the marinade a taste and adjust accordingly if needed.
- Pour the marinade over the cubed ribeye and mix to combine. Let the meat marinade for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut the white onion into thick slices and set it aside.
- After 30 minutes, place butter in a pan to melt then place the cubed ribeye in the pan to sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, then transfer them onto a plate. Repeat until all the ribeye is seared.
- Once all the ribeye is seared, place a small piece of butter into the same pan and toss the sliced onions in to cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Combine the seared ribeye and onions before serving.
So the next time you’re looking to serve a quick, flavorful weeknight meal, give this recipe a try. If you like this post, feel free to share it on Facebook using the button below.
